Our priest asked us that questions tonight. Are you happy? And than he said when he was young, he thought he would be happy when he graduated. Ahh, to be young, takes so little to make us happy, and than we reach our goal, graduate, Happy? yes, for a while and than we need something more. College, yes, college, than I’ll be happy. Nope, still not happy.  a job, a career, a promotion, yes to be boss, that will make me happy, and than just more headaches, not exactly happiness. A wife, children, nothing makes you smile, more than a loving spouse and a little baby, which is true, but we all know how this turns out. Babies do make us happy, but they’re not always so happy, so in response we aren’t always as happy.

We strive to be happy, and we are for a while, but sooner or later, we’re not happy, we want more. The bible readings today, tell us the same story, about the exodus, slaves for hundreds of years, given freedom, wealth, water, manna, etc, etc etc, and still always unsatisfied, always looking for something else to make us happy, to be satisfied. Paul tells us much the same thing. Nothing of this world will ever satisfy us, because we want more, we need more. We want to look upon God’s face, to spend eternity with God. Pure, never ending love.

And we can’t have it here, not on earth. But as you all know, we can have Jesus in the center of our lives, and the more we put Jesus as our focus, the more we give ourselves to Jesus, the happier we are. Sometimes, it seems like we’re there, everything’s perfect, but it never lasts, not for long. We hear the stories of our most holy saints, how they strive to be better, always aware of how sinful they are, even having daily confession, and yet knowing that they’re not sinless, not worthy to be with God. And yet, knowing that God loves them and forgives them and wants them to be with him for eternity, as he wants us.

I know the more I have tried to be better, to be more aware of my sins, to pray more, the more I feel I have to go, the more unworthy I am. Yet, I know with all my heart that God forgives me, he doesn’t forget my sins, but he forgives me for them. I know I don’t deserve it, and I can be so much better, and with God’s grace I will be. I also am not exactly sure where I am going with this, or how I got here, all I can do is ask you, “Are you happy?  For God makes us happy, satisfies us.

God bless and have a good day, George